Blower check valve



Feb. 12, 1929.

S. F. BROOKS ET AL BLOWER CHECK VALVE Filed June 9, 1926 G. W. F'ERLING 5AMUEL F. BRooKs INVENTORS ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 12, 1929.

UlTED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

SAMUEL F. BROOKS AND GEORGE W. FEELING, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

BLOWER CHECK VALVE.

Application filed June 9, 1926. Serial No. 114,804.

Our invention relates to valves, and more particularly to a locomotive blower check valve.

In blowing or initially steaming a locomotive boiler steam is usually conducted from a boiler externally oi' the locomotive to the smoke stack of the latter to create a forced draft in its fire box to cause rapid combustion in the latter. This method of blowing or steaming locomotives is objectionable in that the steam supply is limited and soon falls below an operating pressure, due to attendants often permitting the blow line from the external boiler to remain'connected with the engine an unnecessarily long period, resulting in the loss of steam.

Our invention primarily contemplates overcoming this loss of steam, and to that end provides an automatic valve controlling the passage of steam from the external boiler to the locomotive and arranged to cut off the steam supply to the locomotive after the latters steam pressure has reached an operating degree, and then permit steam from the locomotive to pass to the smoke stack to create the necessary forced draft.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic valve capableof installation on any locomotive and may be readily disassembled for the purposes of cleaning or repairs.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved blower check valve; and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sideelevation of a locomotive equipped with the invention and a steam line communicating therewith.

Referring to the invention in detail, a cylinder or casing A is provided for conducting steam pressure from a remote or external source to the locomotive smoke box to create a force draft therein to initially steam the locomotive. This cylinder of casing is arranged laterally of each side of the locomotive smoke box, and is attached thereto by. means of a plate B formed with the inner end of this cylinder or casing, and is providedwith an inlet A and an outlet C, through which the steam normally passes from the remote source to the smoke box, when it is desired to create a draft therein.

The invention contemplates means for automatically cutting oil the steam supply from the remote source and utilizing the locomotives steam to create the force draft after the locomotive has been steamed. To this end a pressure closed check valve H is provided in the cylinder or casing between the inlet A and outlet C, and arranged to seat on a valve seat therein.

The locomotive boiler (not shown) has communication with the casing or cylinder A." by way of a steam pipe 0 connected with an inlet nipple J on the casing and arranged at right angles to the inlet A, whereby steam irom'the locomotive boiler is permitted to pass through the casing to the smoke box in the normal operation of the locomotive.

To automatically actuate the check valve to closed position to sever communication between the remote supply and the smoke box, after the locomotive boiler has generated sufiicient steam for operating purposes, there is provided a double balanced piston E arranged to engage and hold the check Valve H on its seat when the pressure in the locomotive boiler is greater than the pressure from the remote source.

This piston is reciprocable in a pressure chamber D arranged upon and communicating with the cylinder or casing directly above the check valve, the pressure chamber having its lower end threaded in an opening P in the cylinder or casing.

The pressure chamber is arranged to receive pressure from the remote source and locomotive boilerto normally balance the piston and hold it in raised position oil the check valve while the latter is open. To provide for this the pressure chamber is formed in a relatively large upper compartment U, and a lower small compartment NV. The balanced piston has alarge piston head (,2, movable in the large compartment and a small piston head R movable in the small compartment and carryiing a valve engaging stem T at its lower en As the pressure from the remote source enters the casing or cylinder, it raises the check valve from its seat, thcnCe passes into the smoke box. This pressure building up in the small compartment beneath the piston head R raises the piston upwardly and holds it in raised position until pressure in the up per chamber from the locomotive boiler is sufficient to overcome this pressure and forcethe piston downwardly engaging the stem T against the valve, forcing and holding it up on its seat to sever the steam supply from the external source.

A branch pipe N communicates with the pipe 0 and inlet G of the upper compartment to conduct pressure to the latter. It will be observed that the inlet G is located at the upper end of the upper compartment, and the piston head Q, disposed below this inlet. To

prevent the piston head from .moving too far upwardly and hence cover the inlet Gr, abutments or stops X are carried by thepiston.

' headQ and a removable closure plug Z for the upper compartment, respectively.

Steam pressure from the remote source is conducted from any suitable boiler or generator by way of a pipeK. A branch pipe M leading from the pipe K is arranged to be detachably connected with the inlet A of the.

casing or cylinder to supply steam pressure to the locomotive smoke box. To control the passage of steam from the pipe A a manually controlled valve L is arranged in the branch pipe M. r

What isclaimed 1s: V

1. In a blower for locomotives a casing arranged to have communication 7 with the steam supply of a locomotive and-an external steam supply, a valve normally permitting the passage ,ot'steam'pre'ssure through the casing, and means operable by the steam press'ure'trom the locomotive to close and hold the valve against. opening when the locomotive pressure exceeds the pressurenormal steam,

and a pair of inlets, one of which communifrom the external steam supply;

2. Ina valve, acasing having asingleoutlet and a pair of'inlets, one of which to receive steam from a sultable steam supply and the other communicating with a locomoa tive boiler, a valve controlling the passage of steam' from the steam supply and normally permitting the latter to pass through theoutlet, a pressure chamber communicating with the casing and locomotive boiler, and' pressure actuated valve seating-means 1n the pressure chamber normally rendered inoperative by the steam from the suitable steam supply and actuatedtov seat the valve and cut 05 such steam supply in response to steam p, pressure in the locomotive boiler when the 'latter pressure-is sulficient to overcome the pressure passing through the" 3. In a blow off valve for locomotives, a casing having a common outlet for communi cation with" the smoke stack of a locomotive,

eating with the locomotive boiler, the other communicating with a source of external pressure, a valve controlling one inlet, and a pressure responslve device for moving the valve to closed position to cut off the pressure. supply from the external source when the steam in the boiler has reached a predetermined pressure, and means vfor conducting the steamsfrom the boiler to the stack after the valve has been actuated to closed position.

' 4. In a pressure closed valve, a casing having two independent inlets, one of which having communication with a steam conducting pipe 'leading from a locomotive boiler, and the other inlet arranged to receive steam pressure from an external source, and a common outlet for communication between one of the inlets and outlet, 10601110 tive boiler pressure operated means arranged to operate to seat the valve and hold it in its seat, whereby to stop the flow of outlet, a pressure chamber communlcating With the casing and locomotive boiler, adouble piston movable therein towards and away from the valve and normally held away from the valve by the steam pressure in the casing and operable to engageand'hol'd the-valve seated upon steam pressure from the locomotive boiler exceeding the pressure-from the suitable source whereby to cut oil the latter 1 pressure.

6. The combination a locomotive, of

a valve casing supported thereon having a.

single outlet communicating with the locomotive smoke boxiand a pairof independent inlets, .one'ofiwhich having communication with the locomotive steam supply and the other arranged to be connected with a source of external pressure to create a force draft in the smoke box to initially steam the locomotive, and -means automatically operable by the locomotives own steam pressure to cut off the, steam supply from the external source. w i

,7. In a steam locomotive a blower con-, nected to the locomotive steam boiler for creating 'a forced draft, a connection for" connecting an outside source of steam to the blower when'building a'fire and before the locomotivehas steam up, and means for au-- tomatically shuttlng Vol-f the flow of steam 'fromisaid outside source in response to the steam pressure in the locomotive when such pressure has been raised to a-pressure higher than SiLldOlltSldQ source. 1

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 2nd day oi. June, 1926. SAMUEL F. BROOKS. GEORGE l/V. 

